...but what I doooooo that defines me.

Batman Begins — 2.5/5 (rewatch)

The Dark Knight — 4.5/5 (rewatch) 

Let us start with — what a stupid title for a movie. 'Batman Begins.' So dumb. From there, we shall proceed to: Christopher Nolan isn't given enough credit for being a bad caster. Katie Holmes, young Bruce, his dad are all sort of central to the emotions of this movie and they overall carry this feeling of 'they'll do, I just need human meat to say my lines aloud as my camera races forward.' You'd argue, then, 'but look at all the good actors in his movies', and I'd return that he makes easy choices of good actors — of course Michael Caine is a good actor, of course Morgan Freeman, of course Gary Oldman, Liam Neeson. Bale, frankly, is fine and grows into the role, but also let's remember how fucking stupid his Batman-voice is at times (to speak nothing of Tom Hardy's Bane). Whereas Wes Anderson surrounds himself with a repertoire of people who fit his vibe, Nolan surrounds himself with easy choices that can do their work aptly and then thusly get out of his way. Leading me to: I don't think Nolan actually cares about his actors, or directing talent... but I think actors like working with him because they can do whatever they want and he'll trust them. I think what he cares about is plot and energy and and editing and that rule of storytelling that he sort of breaks with overuse within 'Batman Begins': everything connects. I love when movies connect!! But, you know, thematically. Here, it's all just tangible plot details — where Batman comes from, where his armor comes from, where his ears come from. Everything here is designed to have purpose; everything here does not need purpose. It has the feeling of being smart because everything's been so thought-through. But the purpose of a storyteller is to think through everything, and then subtract until it becomes poetry again. 

And so I then watched 'The Dark Knight', which does a lot of what 'Batman Begins' does... just, you know, better. But whyyyyyy. Let us examine. First: you don't need 'Batman Begins' to enjoy this movie, but I think Nolan needed 'Batman Begins' to lay the groundwork for this movie. He needed to overly explain everything in that movie so that he could feel comfortable focusing on thematic connection in this movie. But the tangible plot stuff overly-connecting is still here!!! Everything happens so easily, everything's all going so according to the Joker's plan. BUT, within Joker, you have an almost supernatural force that allows you to excuse how preternaturally "smart" everything is. He is a Jungian force of nature, a cosmic villain, a Loki, a Bugs Bunny, a trickster god. Always in the right place, even when it seems like the wrong place. And so, in that character, Nolan finds his best character because that character fits what he needs as a filmmaker: pure connective force. A thing that pushes against everything, propels everything forward, while holding everything together. And Heath Ledger, truly, is exceptional in the role, an odd choice on the face of it, at first befitting my 'Christopher Nolan is a bad caster' thesis but also living proof that it's all up to you and what you bring to it. And it was fucking brought-en. But also proof that in order for Nolan's movies to work, it can't all just be energy: you've got to have a performance in the center from which everything can spin around.

You want to fight? Or you want to win?

Andor S2 — 3.5/5

Rogue One (re-watch)— 2/5 

Man, it feels like I just watched six seasons of television!! It shoots across four years of life in little three-episode arcs, and the result is a feeling of largeness – to its benefit, and also leaving it not entirely able to carry the weight of the world and its many spinning plates. To the subject of benefit — season 2, like 1, builds up an entire world of characters who aren't Jedis or weirdly-shaped creatures. Top-to-bottom great casting, set design, and tone that set it side-to-side with the Star Wars universe and, as with season 1, proves that there's just as much fun with manipulation and political intrigue as there is with fighting. It feels like the dream of the prequels come to life: a story about senators and issuances of orders and back-channeling as fodder for compelling television! The show's greatest strength, even, is that it makes me want to go back and revisit those prequels, and 'Rogue One,' for which this show serves as a lead-in. Unfortunately, I did that, at least in part, and 'Rogue One' sucks absolute shit. And I think, regrettably, that that little follow-up re-watch will color this review of the show. Never have I so clearly remembered my previous criticism of a movie while watching it and experiencing the same criticism all over again, beat by beat. A fun plot, cool names, beautiful scenery, and characters that immediately register as characters — and absolutely no relationship between them. Who is Andor to Erso? Who is the pilot to the Force bois? Why are they there? What purpose do they serve? They're all Chekhov's gun, minus a basic understanding of Chekhov's gun. It's Zack Snyder-esque 'cool aesthetics as reason enough.' For example: Force Boi 1 dies, leaving with 2 a message of the Force, which 2 takes on, only to die uselessly, in no way relevant to the Force. Okay, awesome. For example: The pilot, repeatedly reminded that he is a pilot, dies while trying to put a wire into a plug instead of, I don't know, flying up there to destroy the signal-blocker. For example: Let's give Cassian and Erso romantic tension, for no reason whatsofuckingever other than that they are both attractive. And, excuse the pettiness of bringing this up, but Grand Moff Tarkin and Princess Leia's unnecessary CGI-ness enrages me all over again, tantamount to seeing Fred Astaire dance with a Dirt Devil. I've stated before that I get upset when things are so close to being good and here, the first time you see Grand Moff Tarkin, he's reflected in a window. It's great. It works. Seeing Princess Leia from behind? It works. And the movie has them turn around and face the screen and jesus christ it looks so fucking dumb. You were so close. You had the characters, you had the plot, you just needed to connect them together. Which, going back to the purpose of Andor the show existing — I think the idea behind this show is great! Take a character from a movie who is hardly fleshed out, and give them flesh; dramas, motivations, characterization. A theoretical outcome of that is, when then we are to see them again in that original movie, it makes that movie better; it has given them a weight that you then take with you. In theory. But the problem of the movie ends up being the problem of the show — he's just a guy who goes from place to place, arguing for control of his life and ceding it at every turn. There's not much there to him. And so the show is stuck trying to give internal thoughts and feelings to someone who needs to line up to our first impression in 'Rogue One.' The show's answer to this is to leave Andor as mostly an interior character, surrounding him with people who are trying to pull him in or out. To middling success. As such, the show's at it's best when it has anything to do with anyone other than Andor. By a wide mile, this show is a better show about political intrigue and the nips and tucks of morality that lead to a better world. More pointedly, this is a better show about Luthen. The largeness of the show works in his favor, seeing all the decisions he believed to be right play out in both directions. Cassian then just becomes an excuse to tether a more interesting story around. Which is fine! You go get that story, girl! But, similar to my criticism of 'Furiosa,' the desire to go right to the edge of when the original starts hamstrings it. And it's better if you just stop there instead of revisiting 'Rogue One' because otherwise that movie just serves as a very mediocre series finale to a show deserving of more. 

Oh and Dedra Meero is a delight and the song playing over Brasso's death is a banger.